Check out some recent community highlights and milestones from across our four impact areas!

Cradle-to-Career Education:

• Hollis Innovation Academy Welcomes 21 New Faculty Members as part of Westside Future Fund Partnership
  On July 31, Hollis Innovation Academy welcomed 21 new faculty members to its staff as a result of the Westside Future Funds’ partnership with Atlanta Public Schools. The partnership was announced July 20, cementing the commitment between the two groups to collaboratively improve education outcomes on Atlanta’s historic Westside.As part of the announcement, Westside Future Fund pledged $16.4 million over five years towards Westside education initiatives, with two lead commitments of $1 million each from the Coca-Cola Foundation and SunTrust Bank. The $2 million donation from the Coca-Cola Foundation and SunTrust directly supported the hiring of 21 new faculty members for Hollis Innovation Academy.

 

• Westside Works Reports Strong Numbers from 3Q 2017; Opens WestNest at New Mercedes-Benz Stadium
  Statistics to date: 
  • 6,040 Residents Registered
  • 597 Residents Trained
  • 451 Residents Placed in Jobs
  • Average wages per hour — $13.12
  • Total wages earned — $12.1 million

Video: WestNest Fueled by Westside Works
(Footage courtesy of Westside on the Rise)

Safety and Security/Community Retention: 

• Atlanta Police Foundation demolishes vacant English Avenue property in preparation to build homes for Atlanta police officers
• At-Promise Youth Center officially opens its doors 

Community Health and Wellness: 

• Atlanta Beltline’s Westside Trail Opens
• Vine City’s Cook Park Breaks Ground

Additional Highlights:

• Westside Volunteer Corps Launches; More than 350 Volunteers Deployed Across Four Historic Neighborhoods
  On August 26, the Westside Future Fund, in partnership with the United Way of Greater Atlanta and the Chick-fil-A Foundation, launched the Westside Volunteer Corps with a community-wide “Day of Service.”The August Day of Service was the first of what will be a monthly offering of the Westside Volunteer Corps, supporting the Corps’ mission to strengthen historic Westside nonprofits and expand their impact with an injection of volunteers from the Westside and Greater Atlanta.See the results from our first Day of Service below!
  • 350 volunteers provided more than 1,000 service hours to 12 historic Westside nonprofits
  • Effect on the Westside Future Fund’s impact areas:
    • Cradle-to-Career Education
      • 1 horticulture therapy garden designed and built to promote STEM learning and provide additional outlets for stress and anxiety for students served by Raising Expectations.
      • 1 mural painted at Raising Expectations
    • Community Health and Wellness
      • 2 community gardens in Vine City received weeding, mulching and 26 new garden beds for cultivation and planting led by Historic Westside Gardens.
      • 1 park received maintenance and upgrades from volunteers with Friends of Lindsay Street Park, Park Pride and Trees Atlanta.
      • 4 tons of mulch and compost hauled and spread by volunteers at Truly Living Well’s urban farm in Ashview Heights.
      • 400 snack packs assembled with healthy foods to curb childhood hunger for students served by Chris 180 at the @Promise Youth Center.
      • 100-plus residents transitioning from homelessness at Quest Community Development Organization received two full bags of groceries each at the Goodr pop-up grocery shop.
    • Mixed-Income Housing/Community Retention
      • 2 senior homeowners in English Avenue and Washington Park had their homes painted by volunteers working with House Proud Atlanta.
      • 30 families at Odyssey Villas participated in a Day of Play at Vine City Park with GloATL.